"Mother, you are simply hypnotizing yourself into the belief that I am going to marry Ethel Quintard. When"—he painfully recrossed his legs, and smiled pleasantly at his mother—"when, as a matter of fact, what I have been trying to lead up to is to tell you that I shall never lead Ethel's three millions to the altar."
"What's that?"
"It's all off."
"Off?"
Jack slowly nodded his head. "Yes, all off."
"And why, if you please?"
"Oh, for several reasons," he returned mildly. "But one of the reasons is, that I happen to be engaged to someone else."
"Engaged!" gasped Mrs. De Peyster, falling back. "And without my knowing it! Who is she?"
"Mary Morgan."
"Mary Morgan! I never heard of her. Who's her father?"